St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-21
1.-THE FLYING DUTCHMAN."
Second Night of the National OPP
era Company.

AS compared with Monday nights
performance the National Opera COM
pany's production of 1.-THE Flying Dutch
man. at the Grand last night was some
what spiritless. The audience was not
so large, the night was stormy one,
and people did not seem to be music
ally enthused. The stage was lacking,
too, in that active dramatic movement
which characteriZes performance of
Nero" Outside of the phantom ship
scenery, which was magnificent in its
able. But what the performance
lacked in this respect it made up In the
brilliant quality of the music. The OPP
era was better sung than '.NerO." not
withstanding the absence of JUCH from
the cast.
1.-THE Flying Dutchman'' is more ia
miliar to Opera-gOerS than any other OF
MAGNETS compositions. 1t is one of his
earliest operas, and probably the most
melOdious of them all. 1t is more easily
comprehended by the average opera
gOer than his later works, because he
composed it before he had enlarged too
deliberately on the liet-motive idea.
The overture ranks as one of his finest
pieces of orchestral writing, and is al
ways welcome number on orchestra
concert programmes; and the beautiful
descriptive melody of the opening chorus
has probably been sung by every vocal
society of any pretensions, besides being
transcribed into innumerable piano
forte fantasies. The leading motives
are few, and they are so clearly and
SenSibly used that they are landmarks
to the listener throughout the opera.
The motive always used at the entrance
of the Dutchman is an example of this.
The work, with all its weird descriptive
Orchestration in the music of the storm,
is full of lyric gems of melody, as III
Senta's sympathetic ballad in the first
act, Erlk's solo in the second, and the
beautiful song of the SteerSman. The
duo for the Dutchman and Senta in the
second act is one of the finest duOS ever
written, and with its fine climax never
fails to elicit enthusiasm, and as it was
sung last night by WILLIAM LUDWIG
and BERTHA PIERSON, succeeded III
firing up an audience which seeEs to
be colder than the blizzard which was
blOwingNutside. 1t is probable that Miss
PIERsON never did better work than she
did last evening. She was in excellent
voice, and. she gave superb exhibition
of her fine dramatic quality. LUDwIG'S
''Dutchman" is his famous character,
and he was perfectly at home i'll 1t last
evening.
'The Queen of Sheba" will be sung at
the matinee performance this afternoon,
and the National Opera engagement will
close tonight with Faust" 1t Will
perhaps be a long time before our peo-
Pile will again have an opportunity to
hear such operas given in such magnifi-
cent manner, and the probabilities are
that both performances to-day will at
tract large audiences, The cast of
Queen of Sheba" at the matinee per
Torrance includes CLARA POOLE, BER-
TIA PIERSoN, AMANDA FABRIs,
ALoNZO SToDDAKD and others of the
principals. The opera presents the most
gorgeous spectacles given by the com
pany, and includes ballet entitled
1.-The Bee Dance of the AlmeeS." The
cast for Faust tonight includes EMMA
JUCH as Marguerite. MCGUCKIN, VETTA,
FABRIS, SILvERS and PERRING. A
feature of the performance will be the
great Bacchanal ballet in the fourth act.